Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Uhhhmmm....have I ever mentioned how much I loooove polyester? I don't think so, but I really, really do. I think its the fact that there are so many fantastic polyester print dresses and blouses out there in vintage and thrift stores. Give me something colorful, give me something with a crazy print and I'm there. Don't get me wrong; I'm not a head to toe polyester kind of girl and its not about irony. I really am infatuated with the saturated hues and patterns that vintage polyester brings.

So lately I've been distracted by school and Chictopia. But in order to make up for neglecting my blog, here is a hearty apology and a parade of outfits which I realized, curiously (smile), all feature polyester garments. And it begins with an excited leap for joy!

I'm looking forward to May 7th...when the semester is over and I'll be able to spend more time on Kaleidoscopic Refrains!

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Last night my husband and I decided to take a walk down the main street of our town. The weather's been so nice that it was a good excuse to get outside and see some of the people we know who own or work in shops there. Its one of the things that I like about our neighborhood...we're close to the city [actually within its borders], but at the same time there's definitely a community in this small section of it. So anyway, I digress. We were walking along when he pointed out a hand-written sign on a telephone pole advertising a yard sale. Now, I used to love yard sales when I was a kid, but haven't been to one in a long time. So I wasn't too stoked...until he pointed out the parenthesis containing the word 'vintage.'

I know what you're thinking...alot of people are interested in vintage now, so writing that word is an easy way to pull in extra shoppers who might not be inclined to stop by someone's yard on a Saturday morning. But, I was willing to try. So at 10 a.m. we headed over. I went straight for the clothes, which were a bust. Then I started wandering around the other wares. There wasn't a whole lot, but what I did find...was...amazing.

First, is the vintage luggage pictured below. There was quite a bit of baggage there for sale, but these two beauties caught my eye immediately. One is definitely a 60's piece; the woman told me about how her father bought it for her to go on her first trip to Greece when she was a teenager. The green suitcase and little bag didn't have stories to match, but they were only advertised at five dollars each, so I had to snap them up.

To give you an idea of size, here's a picture of the little purse alone. Its so precious, it even has a little matching change purse inside that goes in its own pocket!

Besides the bags, I also found a fantastico polyester scarf. As I've mentioned before, I love scarves and am always looking for ways to better incorporate them into daily. She had alot of scarves, but the fact that it was polyester just did it for me. When I was growing up, one of the few things that my mother saved from her teens and early twenties were the 70's scarves that she used to use to tie back her long, long hair. Sigh.

Finally, I don't think I've mentioned this yet, but I'm really interested in religious icons, especially Italian and Russian ones. I studied Italian history in college and graduate school and lived in Siena, Italy several years ago, so I had the chance to see quite a few while there. The woman at the yard sale was selling the two little icons pictured below. Last year my husband and I even visited the Museum of Russian Icons for our anniversary. It was awesome...and the little town had a thrift store run by two very sweet elderly women...a wonderful day.

Friday, April 17, 2009

It was 7o degrees outside today! Seventy Degrees! I was excited (and a little bummed that I had to work...in the archive...all day long.) But, at least its a sign that the weather is changing and temperatures are beginning to climb. Every year when this happens, I inevitably start thinking about a few things. First, I can't wait to ditch my tights and wear sandals. Second, I start dreaming about breezy cotton frocks and shorts. Orange blossoms (being from Florida) are always somewhere in there and finally, and most prominently, I think about Tampa Theatre.

I have to say, there isn't a whole lot that I really miss about Florida, but this place is one of them. Not only do they show great indie and foreign films, but they also have an annual classic film series in the summer. My sister and I saw Breakfast at Tiffany's there several years ago and the line was around the block. One of the few times I saw the place full, and my gosh, was it exciting. I've been to a few other refurbished movie houses, but none beats Tampa Theatre. The Spanish architecture, organist, and grottos downstairs near the bathrooms are enough to make me swoon...and I don't think I'll ever get the distinctive smell of candy and dreams out of my head for the rest of my life.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

"I live in several times like an insect in amber, motionless and so outside of time, for my limbs are motionless and I cast no shadow on the wall, sunk in a cave as in motionless amber and so nonexistent;

"I live in several times, motionless but furnished with all motion, for I dwell in a space and belong to it and everything that is space lends me its touching, transient form;

"I live in several times, nonexistent, painfully motionless and painfully in motion and I truly don't know what is given to me and what is taken away forever."

-Zbigniew Herbert

Sometimes I have so many ideas and I want to do so many things and I'm so excited and inspired, that I become overwhelmed and can't seem to figure out how to move forward. Does anyone else ever find themselves in that place, "motionless, but furnished with all motion;" momentarily stunned by all of the possibilities that abound? Faced with the endless horizon...do we set limits for ourselves? Do we accept the expanse and prioritize? I'm not sure, but I suppose I just try to accept the yawning breadth, appreciate the words that express what I feel better than I ever could, take advantage of the time and opportunities that I have, take in a big breath and just try.